Embroidery machine



Match 22, 1938. Q wlLLlAMS 2,112,186

EMBROIDERY MACHINE Filed July 9, 1957 lNVENTOR 7 JAMES C. WiLLlAMS BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 22, 1938 EMBROIDERY MACHINE James C. Williams, Johnson City, Tenn., assigner of'one-half to R. Blair Cannon, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Application July 9, 1937, Serial No. 152,820

, 14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for applying designs to woven materials, such as bed spreads and like materials on which it is desired to embroider a design. More particularly, this invention relates to machines for embroidering designs, which machines are movable by hand and preferably are operated by power delivered to'the machine through a flexible shaft.

It is another object of my invention to provide a light portableembroidery machine which is simple but rugged in construction and in which the needle is' capable of rapid and continuous movement without excessive wear on the operat ing parts.

Another object of my invention is .to provide an improved driving mechanismfor needles of portable embroidery machines in which the needle is positively operated forward and backward.

Another object of my invention is to provide means, in a machine of the above type, to adjust the travel of the needle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel means for feeding the thread through a power-operated. embroidery machine of the above type. Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. l is a top plan view of an embroidery ma-. chine embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a View of the interior of the machine shown in Figure 1, when the cover is removed.

Fig 3 is a transverse section view taken through the machine shown in Figure 1 with the section being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail, in elevation.

looking into the needle and needle guide assembly of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail showing, in transverse section, the cover, the needle operating block and the entrance thread guide.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing, the housing of the machine comprises a circulardisc it having at itsperiphery a low cylindrical Wall .lt and having extending from its center, in the oppositedirection from the cylindrical wall, a hub 12 bored centrally to form a bearing for a drive shaft l4. =Thecuter end of this shaft is provided with a conventional detachable connection (not shown) "to a common flexible power shaft. It. The inner end of shaft M has attached eccentrically thereon a circular cam race I Bin the form of a channel shaped annulus 20. This annulus is counter-balanced by a counterweight 22. Both rotate about axis a: of the shaft 14 as the shaft turns. Both are mounted on a diametric arm 23 secured to or formed integrally upon the inner end of the shaft l4. Both the counterweight and the annulus are adjustably secured on the arm 23 by screws 25 and 2'! respectively. The annulus has a diametric bridge 29 with a slot 29 through which passes the shank of the screw 27. The purpose of the adjustable connection of the annuluson the arm 23 is to permit variation of the length of needle stroke, since the annulus drives the needle, as hereinafter more fully described. The counterweight may be secured to the arm 23 by a similar adjustable connection or any other suitable connection.

Within the cam race I8 is an arcuate cam follower 24 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 26 downwardly projecting from a rectilinearly movable, straight-sided, needle-driving block 28. This block is guided in its movement by the side and top walls 30 3B and 39 of an inverted channel-shaped guide member 30. This guide memberis secured in diametrical position to a disc cover 32 for the housing by screws34 passing thru flanges 36 and 3& turned in opposite directions from the bottom edgesof the walls 30* and 30 respectively. The cover disc 32 is, radially slotted to permit the travel of the pin 26 as it is moved by the cam follower 24.

Between the guide channel 30 and cover disc 32 is a guide plate 36, which is provided with a longitudinal'slot in register with the slot in the cover disc to permit travel of the pin 26. This slot is preferably narrower than the distance between the walls of the channels, and the block 28 isreduced in width at the point where it passes thru the slot, providing a shoulder 28 which rests on the surface of the guide plate 36. Thus, the needle driving block is held in the channel of member 36 and is guided on four sides.

Screwed into one end of the needle driving block 28 is a thin hollow embroidery needle 44. This needle passes thru a central bore in a needle guide block 38 mounted in the outer end of the channel in member an and is held therein by a set screw 40 passing thru the side wall 30 of the channel member 30. The embroidery thread passes thru the needle 45 and driving block 28 and passes out of the machine thru a thread guide block 46 mounted on the other end of the channel member 30. A set screw 48 holds this thread guide block 46 in position.

To guide and protect the thread as it passes from the thread guide block 46 to the needledriving block 28 one end of a closely coiled tension spring 50 is secured to a neck 52 on the driving block 28 and extending toward the thread guide block 45. This neck surrounds the thread guide passage 28 in the driving block. The other end of the spring is secured to a similar neck 54 on the thread guide block 46. Thus an expansible protecting passage for the thread is provided between the movable block 28 and stationary block 46.

When operating the machine the operator grasps the hub l2 which serves as a handle, and slips his forefinger thru a metal loop on the bracket 62 which has edges overlying and secured upon the flanges 30 and 30 on the channel member, adjacent the end of that member in which the needle reciprocates.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that as the power shaft 14 is rotated the cam race will rotate about axis x (see Fig. 2). But, since the cam follower can only move rectilinearly by reason of its connection with needle-driving block 28 thru pin 26, the cam follower, always within the cam race, moves diametrically with respect to the cover disc 32 toward the axis a: and then away from that axis in the same rectilinear path as determined by the channel guide member 30.

The machine described has the advantage of ease of manufacture and assembly, inexpensively constructed parts, and relatively slow movement of the needle at the start of its outward movement and rapid at the end and during the first portion of the retractive movement.

Many modifications within the scope of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore I do not limit my invention to the exact form described.

I claim:-

1. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, a bearing sleeve for said shaft forming a hand grip for the machine, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a rectilinearly movable needle-actuating block having a pivotal connection with said cam follower, a needle mounted in said block, a guide channel member for said block for causing the block to move only in a rectilinear direction, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and an expansible thread guide passage between said block and said thread guide member.

2. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, a bearing sleeve for said shaft forming a hand grip for the machine, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a rectilinearly movable needle-actuating block having a pivotal connection with said cam follower, a needle mounted in said block, a guide channel member for said block for causing the block to move only in a rectilinear direction, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and a closely coiled tension spring forming an expansible thread guide passage between said block and said thread guide member.

3. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, a bearing sleeve for said shaft forming a hand grip for the machine, a machine housing mounted on said sleeve, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft,

a cover upon said housing enclosing said raceforming means, a cam follower in said race, a rectilinearly movable needle-actuating block having a pivotal connection with said cam follower thru a slot in said cover, a needle mounted in said block, a guide channel member for said block for causing the block to move only in a rectilinear direction, said channel member being mounted on said cover in position to traverse the axis of said shaft, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and an expansible thread guide passage between said block and said thread guide member.

l. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, a bearing sleeve for said shaft forming a hand grip for the machine, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a rectilinearly movable needle-actuating block having a pivotal connection with said cam follower, a needle mounted in said block, a guide channel member for said block for causing the block to move only in a rectilinear direction, said channel member being mounted in position to traverse the axis of said shaft, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and an expansible thread guide passage between said block and said thread guide member.

5. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a guide channel member positioned to traverse the axis of said shaft, a needle driving block rectilinearly slidable within said channel member and pivotally connected with said cam follower, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and means forming an expansible thread guiding passage between said block and said thread guide member.

6. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, means forming a cam race mounted on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a guide channel member, a needle driving block rectilinearly slidable within said channel member and pivotally connected with said cam follower, a

needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and means forming an expansible thread guiding passage between said block and said thread guide member.

7. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a guide channel member, a needle-driving block rectilinearly slidable in said channel member and pivotally connected with said cam follower, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel memher, and means forming an expansible thread guiding passage between said block and said thread guide member.

8. An embroidery machine comprising a rotating shaft, means forming a circular cam race mounted eccentrically on said shaft, a cam follower in said race, a guide channel member, a needle-driving block rectilinearly slidable in said channel member and pivotally connected with said cam follower, a needle guide member in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel memher, and a closely coiled spring forming a thread guiding passage between said block and said thread guide member.

9. In a portable embroidery machine a casing having a bearing sleeve affording a hand grip, a rotary shaft mounted in said sleeve, means forming a cam race mounted on said shaft, a cam follower in said cam race, a cover for said casing enclosing said means and cam follower, a guide channel member mounted on said cover, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel member and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower thru a slot in said cover.

10. In a portable embroidery machine a casing having a bearing sleeve affording a hand grip, a rotary shaft mounted in said sleeve, means forming a cam race mounted on said shaft, a cam follower in said cam race, a cover for said casing enclosing said means and cam follower, a guide channel member mounted on said cover, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel member and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower thru a slot in said cover, a needle guide in one end of said channel member, a thread guide member in the other end of said channel member, and

means forming an expansible thread guide passage between said thread guide member and said needle driving block.

11. In a portable embroidery machine a casing having a bearing sleeve afiording a hand grip, a rotary shaft mounted in said sleeve, means forming a circular cam race mounted on said shaft, a cam follower in said cam race, a

a cover for said casing enclosing said means and cam follower, guide channel means mounted on said cover in position to traverse the axis of said shaft, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel means and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower thru a slot in said cover.

12. In a portable embroidery machine a casing having a bearing sleeve affording a hand grip, a rotary shaft mounted in said sleeve, means forming a circular cam race mounted on said shaft, a cam follower in said cam race, a cover for said casing enclosing said means and mounted on said cover in position to traverse the axis of said shaft, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel member and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower thru a slot in said cover, a needle guide in one end of said channel member, a thread guide in the other end of said channel member, and a closely coiled spring between said block and said thread guide member forming an expansible thread guide passage.

13. In a portable embroidery machine, a casing, a rotary shaft extending into said casing, a radial member secured for unitary movement with said shaft, means forming a cam race, a sliding adjustable connection between said member and said cam race means, a cam follower in said cam race, a cover for said casing enclosing said race means and cam follower, guide channel means on said cover, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel means and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower.

14. In a portable embroidery machine, a casing, a rotary shaft extending into said casing, a radial member secured for unitary movement with said shaft, means forming a cam race and having a diametric bridge, means to adjustably secure said diametric bridge on said radial member, a cam follower in said cam race, a cover for said casing enclosing said race means and cam follower, guide channel means on said cover, a needle driving block slidable rectilinearly in said channel means and having a pivotal connection with said cam follower.

JAMES C. WILLIAMS. 

